Understanding
by RennyBanette
Summary: Set between the GSC Arc and the RS Arc. Green asks Crystal some questions.


I've decided to attempt to explain sexuality in the form of Crystal from _Pokemon Adventures_.

Absolutely no idea why, but for some reason, I suddenly came up with this idea of Green just . . . realising something, but not actually knowing what it is, so he decides to ask someone.

He asks Crystal. For reasons which will be explained in a minute or two.

This is set after the _GSC Arc_ , but before the _RS Arc_ and the _FRLG Arc_. Mainly because I literally have yet to actually read anything past the _BW Arc_ , and I'm in the process of re-reading everything I've already read. It's actually helping me get a better judge for the Pokedex Holders' characteristics, now.

Anyway.

I don't own _Pokemon Adventures_ , on with the show!

 **OOOOOO**

Red and Yellow were an interesting duo. Everyone (read: Blue) thought they would make an adorable couple, but Red was the most oblivious boy on the planet, and Yellow, despite being a confident young Trainer, was too shy to actually admit that she had a crush on him.

Amazing. They could take down the biggest crime syndicates of the century, defeat a madman hell-bent on wiping out the human race, and help stop an old man trying to freeze all of time . . . and yet they couldn't admit their feelings for each other. Or at least, Yellow couldn't. Red was an enigma. One that Crystal had yet to actually figure out, but she did love a damn good challenge.

She watched the two of them, being teased endlessly by Blue, who seemed to think the best solution for this was to force them together. She'd already tried locking them in an overly-spacious cupboard, but all that had happened was that they found some paper and started doing origami to pass the time.

Right now, Blue's plan seemed to be chucking mistletoe at them, which they continuously ran away from.

That girl was absolutely insane. Then again, insanity apeared to be a common trait among the seven of them, the Pokedex Holders of Kanto and Johto.

Gold appeared to be encouraging her from the sidelines, but didn't do anything to help, since he was too busy attempting to beat his Togepi in a game of poker. How that tiny little baby pokemon learned to gamble so well while it was in an egg was beyond Crystal, but its skilled rivalled Gold's and they were constantly having games to prove who was the best.

Silver was probably the only one not bothered about anything at all, and he was sitting in a tree (literally- he was on a tree branch, legs dangling) going through his pokedex.

Crystal herself was standing on the front doorstep of Professor Oak's Pallet town lab, leaning against the doorframe. Green was sitting down next to her, watching Blue chase Red and Yellow with the most bored expression that Crystal had ever seen on a fifteen year old.

This was supposed to be a Dexholders meeting, but Blue got distracted. And then Gold got distracted. Then everything just dissolved into chaos, like any of these silly meetings did.

Oh well. It was weekly entertainment, at the very least.

"I don't get it."

Crystal almost jumped out of her skin, but she calmed down once she realised that it was Green who had spoken, though he was quieter than usual.

"Don't get what?" Crystal asked, glancing down at him. He'd gotten bored of standing and waiting for something other than this to happen, so he'd just sat down and basically gone to sleep. Now he was awake, or he'd never been asleep to start off with.

"That," Green replied, gesturing towards Red and Yellow. They ran past, shouting at Blue, who just laughed maniacally.

" . . . Blue's chasing them to try and make them kiss," Crystal said, wondering if Green had somehow forgotten the past ten minutes.

"I'm aware of that," was Green's slightly annoyed response. "I meant, I don't get the . . . kissing bit."

Aaaand Crystal was officially confused.

Because Green wasn't a mind-reader (although according to Red, Green _did_ have some weak psychic abilities), Crystal tried her best to _show_ that she couldn't understand what he was attempting to say. Green wasn't the best at verbal communication at the best of times, except when it was a battle or he was angry enough to start cursing in various languages.

"Do you mind explaining?" Crystal asked.

"I'll . . . try. I don't understand it so I can't explain it very well."

"That's okay, take your time."

For some reason, she suddenly got the feeling that she was talking to one of the kids at the orphanage. They often asked the strangest and most perceptive questions. Green was . . . kinda like that, but different- mainly because he was three years older than her instead of three years younger.

Interesting.

"I don't get . . . them. The . . . relationship bit," Green said. He gestured once again to Red and Yellow. Red was now trying to fend Blue off with a large stick, and Blue was happily climbing along it like a Mankey, waving the mistletoe in his general direction. "Blue says they'd make a cute couple, and she also says that Yellow's got a crush on Red- but what does that even mean? Is that love, or is it just . . . like, a little feeling?"

Was . . . was he asking her to explain _love_?

"Some people walk up to me and ask me if I've got a girlfriend yet, but I don't know what they mean. I'm friends with Blue, she's a girl. I'm friends with Yellow, she's a girl too. And I'm friends with you, you're a girl. But apparently that's not what people mean when they say girlfriend?"

Oh. Now she got it.

"What people mean is that they want to know if you're in a relationship with a girl yet," Crystal told him, and Green tilted his head up at her, looking thoroughly puzzled. "But it doesn't just have to be limited to girls- there's also boys, too. If you like boys instead of girls, that's fine too. And if you like both, that's no big deal either."

"But . . . I do like both. But not . . . not in the way that you're saying, I think," Green told her. "What do you mean by 'relationship'?"

" . . . Uh." Okay, this was starting to get very confusing, but she was gonna try and stick it through to the end. "A relationship- between two people who aren't related and who want to be romantically involved- is . . . being attracted to each other. Aesthetically or sexually."

" . . . So . . . people find other people pleasing to look at. And they want to be with them. That's a relationship?" Green asked. Crystal tried to think of an answer that didn't offend half the planet, and Green looked at Red and Yellow again. "So Yellow thinks Red's pleasing to look at?"

Oh, Mew, it was like trying to talk to an alien.

"I guess so. There's also other things which attract people to each other- strength, kindness, bravery, and so on. Red's pretty much all of that, so Yellow has a crush on him. Ah, a crush is like . . . a brief infatuation with a person."

"But according to Blue, Yellow's had a crush on Red for the past two or three years."

"Yes, well . . . the definition is fluid," Crystal said, shrugging.

"Okay, so, I think I get the whole 'relationship' thing . . . but why haven't I felt that?"

Well, that was something Crystal hadn't expected to come up. Though in hindsight, that question was probably inevitable and she really _should_ have expected it.

Green turned his attention to grass at his feet, eyes half-lidded. Crystal couldn't decide if he looked relaxed or worried.

"You say people see other people as pleasing to look at, but I don't," Green went on. It seemed he was talking to himself as well, now. "To me, people are just people. So . . . so I don't think I feel love. Is . . . is there something _wrong_ with me . . .?"

He sounded like he was about to break apart, and Crystal decided that it was her responsibility to explain this as best as she could- obviously he'd never said anything to anyone, but for whatever reason, he'd now confided in to her. Crystal was not gonna let his trust go unjustified.

"Green . . ." Crystal crouched down, looking the older Dexholder in the eyes. Green generally wasn't too fond of eye-contact, he was a bit like a cat pokemon in that he got uncomfortable and looked away after a few moments, but Crystal was determined to do this properly. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You feel love, just not in the way that most people do. Has anyone ever explained sexuality to you?"

Green shook his head.

Ah. Well, that probably explained everything.

"You know how I said that some people like girls, others like boys, and some like both? In a relationship kinda way?" Green nodded. "Well, those are called heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality, respectively. What you've just described sounds a lot like asexuality, and aromantic. You don't experience sexual or romantic attraction to other people, but you _do_ still feel love. You love your family, right?"

"Yes." He looked a bit offended that she would assume otherwise.

"And you love your friends, right?"

"Of course."

If any of the others had heard that, they'd probably tease Green endlessly. It was a good thing none of them were here. Crystal had no idea if any of them would take this seriously.

"Well, there you go. You love the people you're close to, just not in a romantic way," Crystal told him, giving him a smile. "And that's perfectly okay- everyone's different, it's a fact of life. To be honest, I'm not too bothered about the whole sexual attraction thing myself. If you're not bothered about relationships in general, that's fine."

"Oh . . . so I'm not broken," Green mumbled, blinking slowly. Crystal's heart caught in her throat and she wondered just how long this poor boy had been sitting on this. "Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry if you got bored or confused-"

"No, no, it's fine!" Crystal exclaimed. "I didn't mind at all, really."

"You're . . . probably the only person I can ask who wouldn't just laugh at me," Green admitted.

"Well, Red probably wouldn't laugh- neither would Yellow."

"They'd be confused, though."

"Yeah, that's true."

Crystal sat down properly, her legs getting cramped from crouching in the same position for so long, and they both watched Blue as she continued to chase Red and Yellow around. It was amazing how stubborn she could be sometimes.

" . . . So what's a girlfriend if it doesn't mean a friend that's a girl?" Green asked, after a few moments of silence.

 **OOOOOO**

Just a bit of trivia for y'all- I'm ace/aro too!

I'm not entirely sure if I managed to explain it properly, but that's basically me. I don't experience the whole 'I want to have a girlfriend/boyfriend' thing, and even though I do look at some people and think 'holy fuck balls that person is hot', I don't go beyond that.

I basically decided several years ago that I didn't give a single shit, and that was that.

So I tried to do that with Green here, except with him it wasn't a conscious decision. So I also tried to explain it in a way that would make sense, but would also still be in-character for Green and Crystal.

Green is an intelligent person in general, but in the area of relationships and romance and whatever else, he's actually worse than Red is. At least, that's my headcanon.

Did you know that apparently only 1% of the whole population of the planet is asexual? Probably the same for aromantic too. And even less than 1% are both, which means I'm a part of that tiny-ass percentage. And Green is too!

This planet needs more ace/aro representation. And I don't mean writing characters who are willing to make 'exceptions' for people they like, I mean people like me (and Green) who _have_ no exceptions and never will.

Writers of fanfiction and writers in general, and also anyone who comes up with a story ever, help me in my personal mission for the representation of the most unrepresented population of Earth- the asexual and aromantic community!

And if anyone says anything relating to plants, I will fucking skin you alive. WE ARE NOT PLANTS AND DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR STUPID JOKES.

What I want is actual ace/aro puns, not stupid plant jokes.

For example- I like my coffee the way I like my relationships. I don't like coffee.

That's the kinda shit I wanna see. Gotta love sexuality puns, they're the best.

Anyway.

Read and review! And I hope this was a good story for everyone as well!


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